Surgical instrument



Nov. 2, 1943. 'c. WILLERS.

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 6

' fine/2757' Car] M5875 Patented Nov. 2, 1943 SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Carl Willers, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Francis C.

Kollath, Chicago, 111.

Application August 6, 1942, Serial No. 453,837 13 Claims. (Cl. 30-231) This invention relates to a surgical instrument and more particularly to surgical shears.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of improved surgical shears for removing casts, splints, bandages and like members from the body of a person without causing injury or pain to the person. 1

A further object is theprovision of improved, hand operated surgical shears which are simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, and provide for heavy duty cutting without substantial injury or pain to the body of a patient.

A further object is the provision of surgical shears having a relatively fiat plate member for guiding and supporting the shears during a cutting operation, the said plate member being adapted for insertion beneath a cast or the like and having the shearing or cutting elements arranged above the plate member.

A still further object is the provision of such shears in which the handle members for operating the shears are so positioned as to extend substantially perpendicular to the surface of the cast, or the like, being cut and to be entirely out of the way of an arm, leg, or other member having the shears applied thereto, 7

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the appended claims, and the accom- 1 panying drawing which illustrates a selected embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a surgical shearing instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating the manner in which it may be applied to remove a cast or the like from the body of a person; I

Fig. 2 is a side detail View of the shearing instrument of Fig. 1 partly in section, with certain of the operative parts shown in two positions by full and dashed lines;

Fig. 3 is a left hand end view or" the shears shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated surgical instrument comprises a thin, resilient and relatively flat plate member ill, a pair of operating handles H and 2, a pair ofstationary shear or cutting plates l3, and a pivotally mounts ed shearing or cutting member 14. The plate 10 provides a guide and supporting member for the shears and is adapted to be inserted between an article to be cut, such as a plaster cast, splint, bandageor the like, and a member on which the article to be cut is supported, such as an arm, leg, or other part of the body of a person. i

The handle ll extends upwardly and substantially normal to the guide plate It and is suitably shaped and curved conveniently to fit the palm of the hand of an operator, as indicated at l5. Below the portion l5 the handle H comprises a flat plate portion is which is rigidly connected to the guide and supporting plate H). Pins or lugs ll extend downwardly from the plate portion l6 and pass through suitableopenings provided in the guide and support plate ID, the lugs or pins I! being riveted or swaged on the under side of the plate It) rigidly to attach the handle H to the plate Ill. Above the plate ii] the portion l6 of the handle H widens outwardly to provide a widened portion iii to which the pair of stationary shear or cutting plates !3 are rigidly attached by means of rivets 58 or the like.

Each of the shearing plates l3 extends laterally of the handle I I and generally parallel with the plate member I8, and comprises a lower shearing or cutting surface 20 and an upper curved surface 2|. The plates i3 are also each provided with an upwardly turned nose portion 22 for freely guiding the shears into the member to be cut, and the nose portions 22 are interconnected by means of a pin 23 or the like more rigidly to support the forward ends of the shear plates I3.

The shearing or cutting member M is pivotally mounted between the shear plates l3 by means of a bolt 24 or the like which extends through suitable openings in th shear plates forwardly of the widened portion 18 of the handle 1 l. The handle [2 is rigidly attached to the cutting member l4 and in the illustrated embodiment forms an integral extension of a portion 25 of the cutting member M.

The cutting member M together with its portion 25 is received between the shear plates [3 while the handle I2 extends upwardly above the upper portion 2| of the stationary shear plates. The handle I2 is suitably curved and shaped, as illustrated, conveniently to fit within the palm of the hand of an operator and, together with the portion 25, extends substantially laterally and perpendicular to the cutting member M and substantially normal to the guide and supporting plate In.

The pivotally mounted cutting member 14 normally xtends downwardly into the space between the shear plates i3 and guide plate [9, as

illustrated by full lines in Fig. 2, and is urged into this position by means of a coiled spring 26 with the upper portion 2| of the shear plates l3. This limiting movement is provided by means of shoulders 30 which bulge laterally outwardly-as best shown in Fig. 3, between the handlelz and the portion 25 of the cutting member l4.

The cutting or shearing member I4 is also preferably provided with serrated teeth 3|,as shown, better to enable the shears tocut through splints, casts, heavy bandages, and the like. v supporting and guide plate I 0 is also-preferably provided with an opening 32 within which the lower end of the cutter I4 is adapted to boreceived when the handles Ill and i2 and shear members l3 and Mare separated'by the spring In operation the guide and supporting plate 10 is adapted to be inserted between an article to be severed and-a member onwhich the article is supported or attached. The handles li'an'd l2 e'xtend upwardly from the plate l0 and are substantially perpendicular and normal to the plate l0 and the article tobe cut. Thus the operating handles for theshears are positioned so as to avoid any contact with either thearticle tobe cut or a membersupportingthe article.

The shears are readily operated by merely squeezing the handles together, as illustrated by'dashed lines in Fig. 2, and then releasing the. handles, 7

the spring 26 serving to move the cutting element ll to an open position with respectto the shearing plates l3.

Shears particularlyadapted as a surgical instrument are accordingly provided. Thus; ;as shown in Fig. 1, the guide and supporting plate 'ill'may be inserted beneath a plaster cast, ban-dage or like-member 33, and the shears provide for readily and simply cuttingthe member 33 without substantial injury or pain to an arm 34 .or other part of a persons body.

Changes may be made in the Orin-construction and arrangement of. parts'without departing from the spirit Of the'invention or sacrificing anyoi its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the followingclaims. I The invention is hereby claimed asiollows: 1. An instrument of the character described comprising aflexible plate member adaptedfor insertion beneath an article tobe cut to provide for guiding. and supporting the instrument-during. a cutting operation, cutting :memberspositioned above said platemember and operatively attached .tothe plate membenandimeans including-handles attached to said-cutting members -for operating the cutting members, said handles'extending substantially normal to .the surl'ace'rof said .flexible plate member and beingadaptedto'be gripp d in one hand of an operator toio'perate .the cutter members by squeezing: one thandle itowards the other.

2. 'An instrument of the character described comprising an elongated stationaryzcuttingtmember, a cooperating pivotally mounted :cutting The lower member, operating handles for said cutting members, and an elongated guide plate spaced below said stationary cutting member and extending enerally parallel therewith, said pivotally mounted cutting member being operable within said space between the stationary cutting memher and the guide plate to effect cutting by move- 'ment towards the stationary member and away from the guideplate.

3. An instrument of 'the'character described comprising an elongated stationary cutting member, a, cooperating cutting member pivotally mounted on said stationary cutting member, 0peratlng handles for said cutting members, and an-elongated guide .plate spaced below said stationary cutting member and extending generally parallel therewith, said pivotally mounted cutting member being operable within said space betweenthe stationary cutting member and the guide plate to efiect cutting by movement towards I the stationary member-and awayfrom the guide plate.

- 4. An instrument of the character-described comprising a guide platemembezgan upstanding member attached to said guide plate member, a stationary shear plate attached to said upstanding member and extending generally parallel to saidguide plate memberin spaced relationship therewith, and'a cooperating'shear-member pivotally mounted on said shear plateand'operable within said space between the stationary shear plate and the guide plate member to eifect 'cutting by movement towards the tationary plate 'and away from the guide plate.

'5. Aninstrument 0f the character described comprising a. guideplate member, an upstanding memberattached to said guide plate member, astationary shear plate attached to said upstanding'member and extending generallyparallel to said guide plate member in spaced relationship therewith, a cooperating shear member pivotally mountedonsaid shear plate and operable within said spac between the stationary shearplate and the guide plate member to effect cutting'by movementftowards the stationary plate and away from the guide plate, anoperatinghan'dle rigidly attached .to said stationary shear plate andextending generallyupwardly with respect to said guide plate member, andasecond upwardly extending .operatinghandle.rigidly attached to said pivotally mounted shear member. 6. An instrument of the character described eomprisinga guide plate member, an upstanding member attached to said guide plate member, a stationaryshear plate attached to saidupstanding member and extending generally;parallel to .said guide plate =memberln spaced relationship therewith, ,a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted on said shear-plate and operable within said space between the stationary shear plate and theguide plate member to effect cutting by movement towards the stationary plate .and away from the,guide.plate,=an operating handle rigidly attached to said stationary shearlplate and extending generally upwardly .withxrespect to said .guide plate member, a second upwardly extendingioperating handle rigidly attached to said pivotally mountedrshear membeniiand spring means for normally separating said stationary :and pivotal shear members.

'7. An instrument of the character described :comprising a 'guideplate member, an upstanding .member rattached ztousaid .Lguide :plate .member,..a pair for substantially parallel stationary rshear plate attached to said upstanding member and extending generally parallel to said guide plate member in spaced relationship therewith, a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted between said shear plates and operable within said space between the stationary shear plates and the guide plate member to effect cutting by movement towards the stationary plates and away from the guide plate, and operating handles connected to said stationary shear plates and said pivotally mounted shear member, said operating handles extending upwardly with respect to said guide plate member.

8. An instrument of the character described comprising a guide plate member, a handle member rigidly attached to said guide plate member and extending upwardly therefrom, a stationary shear member rigidly attached to said handle member and extending laterally thereof in spaced substantially parallel relationship with respect to said guide plate member, a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted on said stationary shear member for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said pivotally mounted shear member being adapted to extend downwardly toward said guide plate member when opened, and a second handle member rigidly attached to said pivotally mounted shear member and extending upwardly with respect to said guide plate member.

9. An instrument of the character described comprising a guide plate member, a handle member rigidly attached to said guide plate member and extending upwardly therefrom, a stationary shear member rigidly attached to said handle member and extending laterally thereof in spaced substantially parallel relationship with respect to said guide plate member, a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted on said stationary shear member for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said pivotally mounted shear member bein adapted to extend downwardly toward said guide plat member when opened, a second handle member rigidly attached to said pivotally mounted shear member and extending upwardly with respect to said guide plate member, and said pivotally mounted shear member being provided with a plurality of serrations forming teeth on the upper side thereof.

10. An instrument of the character described comprising a guide plat member, a handle member rigidly attached to said guide plate member and extending upwardl therefrom, a stationary shear member rigidly attached to said handle member and extending laterally thereof in spaced substantially parallel relationship with respect to said guide plate member, a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted on said stationary shear member for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said pivotally mounted shear member being adapted to extend downwardly toward said guide plate member when opened, a second handle member rigidly attached to said pivotally mounted shear member and extending upwardly with respect to said guide plate member, and spring means cooperating between said handle members normally to urge said pivotally mounted shear member to an open position.

11. An instrument of the character described comprising a guide plate member, a handle member rigidly attached to said guide plate member Gil and extending upwardly therefrom, a stationary shear member rigidly attached to said handle member and extending laterally thereof in spaced substantially parallel relationship with respect to said guide plate member, a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted on said stationary shear member for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said pivotally mounted shear member being adapted to extend downwardly toward said guide plate member when opened, a second handle member rigidly attached to said pivotally mounted shear member and extending upwardly with respect to said guide plate. member, spring means cooperating between said handle members normally to urge said pivotally mounted shear member to an open position, and means on said second handle member cooperating with said stationary shear member for limiting opening movement of the pivotally mounted shear member.

12. An instrument of the character described comprising a guide plate member, a, handle member rigidly attached to said guide plate member and extending upwardly therefrom, a stationary shear member rigidly attached to said handle member and extending laterally thereof in spaced substantially parallel relationship with respect to said guide plate member, a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted on said stationary shear member for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said pivotally mounted shear member bein adapted to extend downwardly toward said guide plate member when opened, a second handle member rigidly attached to said pivotally mounted shear member and extending upwardly with respect to said guide plat member, spring means for normally urging said pivotally mounted shear member to an open position, means on said second handle member cooperating with said stationary shear member for limiting opening movement of th pivotally mounted shear member, and said guide plate member being provided with an opening for receiving the lower end of the pivotally mounted shear member when in open position.

13. An instrument of the character described comprising a guide plate member, a handle mem-- ber rigidly attached to said guide plate member and extending upwardly therefrom, a pair of parallel stationary shear plates rigidly attached to said handle member and extending laterally thereof in spaced substantially parallel relationship with respect to said guide plate member, a cooperating shear member pivotally mounted between said stationary shear plates for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said pivotally mounted shear member being adapted to extend downwardly toward said guide plate member when opened, a second handle member rigidly attached to said pivotally mounted shear member and extending upwardly with respect to said guide plate member, spring means cooperating between said handle members normally to urge said pivotally mounted shear member to an open position, means on said second handle member cooperatin with said stationary shear plates for limiting opening movement of the pivotally mounted shear member, and said guide plate member being provided with an opening for receiving the lower end of the pivotally mounted shear member when in open position.

CARL WILLERS. 

